If you are buying a property and worrying about how to afford the purchase price, let alone furnishing it, here's a small gift. Any individual or couple visiting the Trade Secrets furniture warehouse and bringing proof of their property purchase will be given a top-brand mattress, worth £500, with any other purchases totalling £950 or more. Already selling cancelled-order furniture at reductions of up to 60 per cent, Trade Secrets is an Aladdin's cave of sofas, beds, dining-room furniture and just about everything you need to make your house feel like home. The offer is open to the end of March. Tel 01869 347720, www.trade-secret.co.uk.

Sharpest box for your knives

For a safe way to store knives, take a look at the Judge knife drawer set (below). A hardwood block made to slot easily into standard kitchen drawers, it's great for keeping knives away from children as well as freeing up space on the work surface. Complete with a 13-piece Sabatier knife set, it's available at the moment from Robert Dyas at just £29.99, down from its recommended price of over £80. Tel 01372 367511, www.robertdyas.co.uk.

Heating? This one's a plumb

Website heatandplumb.com sells heating and plumbing products direct to the public at trade prices. With more than 14,000 product ranges, it has a vast array of boilers, sanitary ware, gas fires, showers and much more - all branded products from manufacturers such as Ideal Standard, Vaillant and Armitage Shanks. Delivery is free and within five working days.

Some really grate ideas

It's still cold out there, but CVO Firevault can come to the rescue. At its Great Titchfield Street branch in central London it is selling practically all its ex-display fires at half price. True, theses were not the cheapest fires to start with, but for stunning originality and quality they are hard to beat. So, if you fancy a real focal point in every sense of the word, you can choose from bronze or limestone, flueless or firebowl, strictly while stocks last. And if you want to relax while making a decision, its cafe will serve you a drink or lunch as you sit by the fire. Open Monday to Saturday. 36 Great Titchfield St, London W1. Tel 020 7580 5333.

Delivery sweet

I have just discovered a really useful, efficient and cheap delivery service, operating throughout Britain and particularly active in London and the south east. Ecourier is the first courier company I have come across that really panders to the individual: You don't need to set up an account: just call the number or log on to the site for just £6.95 plus VAT per journey in London's central zone and you can have the equivalent of a personal errand service delivering shopping or picking up lost keys. And for just £9.95 plus VAT you can have an entire transit van - which makes furniture shopping or small moves very cost effective. Tel 0870 085 3333, www.ecourier.co.uk

Do-it-cheaper

With spring comes DIY, but before you trot off to the superstores, get hold of a copy of DIY Essentials, a catalogue of more than 30,000 home improvement products for home delivery. Also online, the range includes fixings, shelving, ironmongery and a range of hinges and handles about 50 per cent cheaper than in the big stores. Delivery nationwide in five to seven days. Tel 01623 871758. www.diyessentials.com